Deep into the night, the valley had returned to silence.

The visceral gore of the day’s slaughter had been scrubbed clean. Not a scrap of flesh nor a drop of blood remained to stain the earth; only the scorched and pitted scars of spellcraft served as a testament to the fierce battle that had taken place.

Moonlight spilled into the basin, casting a serene, silver veil over the stillness.

Suddenly, a faint rustle broke the quiet outside the valley entrance.

The ground trembled imperceptibly. Something was approaching.

A moment later, a tuft of white fur broke the surface of the soil. A rabbit’s head popped up, its long ears twitching. A pair of crimson eyes rolled in their sockets, scanning the surroundings with paranoid vigilance.

Sensing no beasts nearby, the intruder scrambled out of its tunnel. It moved with a thief’s grace—sneaky, furtive, and quick. Its short legs blurred as it dashed toward the patch of grass the Stone Wood Spirit Goat had conjured during the battle.

Upon reaching the target, the White Rabbit Demon swiftly uprooted a specific blade of green grass. Its mission was complete. It turned to flee.

But then, the wind shifted.

An enchanting, irresistible fragrance drifted into its nose.

The scent was like an invisible hand, reaching into the rabbit’s chest and gripping its heart tight. It froze mid-step. Its nose twitched violently, possessed by the aroma, tracing the invisible ribbon of scent back to its source.

Its gaze landed on the center of the valley.

There stood the [Blood-Binding Spirit Mulberry]. Lush, verdant, and teeming with life, its heavy boughs swayed gently in the night breeze, whispering promises of sweet, spiritual power.

Plip. As if on cue, a single emerald leaf detached from a high branch. It drifted down, dancing on the air, before landing perfectly in the open, just a few yards away.

The White Rabbit Demon stared at the leaf. Its jaw went slack. Saliva pooled in its mouth.

“So fragrant…” it muttered, its eyes glazing over. “I… I want to eat it. How can a leaf smell better than meat?”

Its paws moved on their own, dragging its body toward the valley.

Just as it was about to cross the perimeter, a jolt of clarity struck. The rabbit shook its head, looking down at the recording grass clutched in its paw. Panic flared in its chest.

“No! If I go in there and get caught, I’m dead meat! The Great King Goat is waiting for this intel!”

The White Rabbit Demon stood rooted to the spot, locked in an agonizing internal struggle. It rubbed its front paws together nervously, torn between duty and gluttony.

While it hesitated, the Spirit Mulberry played its next card.

Another leaf fell.

This one bore a single, crystal-clear droplet of red dew—processed spirit liquid. The scent exploded outward, dense and intoxicating.

That was the breaking point.

The rabbit’s eyes flared like lanterns. “Screw it!”

Whoosh!

It bolted into the valley, snatched up the leaf, and shoved it into its mouth. It chewed frantically, cheeks puffing in and out. A look of pure, transcendent ecstasy washed over its face.

“Fragrant! Too fragrant!”

“What kind of garbage have I been eating my whole life compared to this?!”

It swallowed the leaf in two bites and immediately began scanning the ground for more. It licked its paws clean, savoring the lingering essence of the peerless delicacy. Its gaze drifted upward, locking onto the crown of the Spirit Mulberry tree.

It looked around the silent, empty valley. A dangerous thought took root.

I’m already here. Why not grab a few more? As long as I don’t damage the tree, who’s going to know? I’ll grab a handful and vanish!

“You can do this,” the rabbit whispered, cheering itself on. “In and out. Like a ghost.”

It crept toward the trunk, taking one step and freezing, checking for any sign of movement. The coast remained clear.

Moments later, it stood beneath the towering tree. Still no reaction from the valley’s defenders. The rabbit let out a breath it didn’t know it was holding and smirked.

“Heh. These water rats are useless. They haven’t even noticed me. What a waste of a Spirit Mulberry tree to leave it unguarded.”

Drooling, it looked up at the canopy.

With a powerful kick of its hind legs, it launched itself into the air, landing softly among the branches. It wasted no time, raking its claws through the foliage and grabbing a massive bundle of leaves.

It buried its face in the hoard, inhaling deeply. “Peerless delicacy…”

Satisfied, it stepped off the branch, intending to leap away into the night.

Snap.

The air beneath its feet wasn’t solid. Gravity took hold instantly.

The rabbit looked down in horror. The ground had vanished, replaced by a bottomless pit that had opened up silently beneath the tree.

“Something’s wrong! When was I—?!”

It screamed, but then its arrogance kicked in. “Hah! What kind of idiot demon falls into a pit this obvious?”

It tried to circulate its Demon Power to air-step out of the trap.

It pushed. Nothing happened.

“?”

“My Demon Power? Why can’t I move?!”

Its eyes bulged in terror. The binding formation had locked its meridians completely.

The darkness of the pit rushed up to meet it. But as the rabbit fell, watching the circle of moonlight shrink above, a strange calmness washed over it. It looked at the bundle of leaves in its arms.

Well… might as well.

It shoved another leaf into its mouth, chewing aggressively as it plummeted. Tears streamed from its eyes. “So delicious! Worth it!”

Thump.

The fall ended not on hard ground, but in the grip of a massive, furry claw.

It took a single breath for the rabbit’s eyes to adjust to the dim light of the underground cavern. Four distinct, terrifying presences surrounded it.

But the rabbit ignored the Otter, the Bear, and the Hamster. Its gaze was magnetically drawn to the figure holding it.

It was a creature of jade-like perfection. Its fur shimmered with a mystical luster, and specks of Lunar Essence danced around its body like fireflies. It radiated a holy, celestial aura.

The rabbit gasped.

“You must be the Moon Rabbit!” it shouted, awe-struck. “You are incredibly handsome!”

Obsequiously, it offered the half-eaten mulberry leaf to the glowing figure.

Wu Yuan looked down at the small white rabbit in his palm, his expression one of utter confusion.

“I am a rat. Not a rabbit.”

But the White Rabbit Demon was firm. It spoke with the confidence of a scholar presenting a thesis.

“White fur? Check. Big front teeth? Check. Long ears? Well, maybe not, but you have the vibe! You are definitely a Moon Rabbit. You’ve just lived underground too long.”

“My grandma told me about this. It’s called a mutation. Yes! You are a mutated Moon Rabbit!”

Wu Yuan sighed. He decided not to argue with the delusional snack.

“The grass,” Wu Yuan said, his voice calm but commanding. “Why did the Goat Demon order you to retrieve it?”

The rabbit, who had resumed eating the mulberry leaves despite being a prisoner, didn’t even look up.

“Oh, that? King Goat guessed that the Black Rat and the Water Rat don’t get along. He used a spell to record the battle in the valley. He wanted me to bring it back to verify the discord.”

It casually handed the green blade of grass to Wu Yuan.

“Just inject some Demon Power and you can watch the movie.”

Wu Yuan, Bibo, and Big Old Black exchanged looks of varying disbelief.

Meanwhile, Little Yellow (Xiao Huang) had crept closer. He stared at the rabbit, or rather, at the bundle of Spirit Mulberry leaves in the rabbit’s arms. A thick line of drool connected his lip to the floor.

“Ah!”

The rabbit looked up, startled by the massive yellow face looming inches from its own.

“Get away!”

It threw a handful of leaves at Little Yellow’s face and scrambled backward, burying its head against Wu Yuan’s palm.

“So scary! What is that ugly yellow rat?!”

The words struck Little Yellow like a physical blow. The trauma of his appearance—a sore spot for the chubby cultivator—resurfaced instantly.

He turned and buried his head in Wu Yuan’s stomach, wailing at the top of his lungs.

“Boss! I’m not ugly! Tell him I’m not ugly!”

The sound was deafening. Wu Yuan winced, massaging his temples.

He reached down and patted Little Yellow’s head, his voice soothing.

“You aren’t ugly, Xiao Huang. Look at you—plump, golden, and round. You look auspicious! Like a gold ingot! I love the way you look.”

He looked up at his lieutenants. “Right, Bibo? Blackie?”

Big Old Black nodded vigorously, the movement shaking his jowls. “Boss is right! I wish I could be as golden as you, Second Brother Yellow! I’ve tried washing, but the black won’t come off!”

Bibo stroked his whiskers, nodding sagely. “Indeed. Steward Yellow’s coat is the exact shade of high-grade Spirit Copper. And we all know the Great King loves treasure more than anything.”

Little Yellow’s sobbing quieted to a sniffle.

Hearing the commotion, the White Rabbit Demon’s curiosity got the better of it. It poked its head out from behind Wu Yuan’s fingers, blinking its red eyes.